What Are Some Actual Rainfall Totals by City?

In 2014, New York City reported 53.79 inches of precipitation. By contrast, Phoenix, Arizona, averages 8.04 inches. Mobile, Alabama, is considered the wettest city in the United States, with 67 inches of average rainfall annually.

Rainfall varies widely throughout the world. Precipitation occurs as a result of topography, distance from water sources, such as lakes and oceans, and geographic location. Distance from the equator is also a factor in precipitation and predictability. Even within a particular area, rainfall varies according to season, year, and type, such as snow or rain.

There are places that have received no rain for years, and others that receive an average of 600 to 700 inches or more. The wettest spot, but not city, in the continental United States is the Aberdeen Reservoir at 130.6 inches, located in Washington State. The world's record for average rainfall belongs to Mt. Waialeale, Hawaii, at 450 inches per year.